Towson-area prep football previews

With two-time defending Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference champ Gilman and runner-up Calvert Hall having already opened the season, it's time for their local rivals to take their first snaps of what promises to be another exciting campaign on the gridiron.

Yet there are question marks for most squads in their attempt to reach the top.

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St. Paul's, coming off a MIAA B Conference title run, will try its best to hold off archrival Boys' Latin while Towson, Lutheran, Friends, Loyola Blakefield, Dulaney and Loch Raven look to rise above .500 in their respective leagues.

Fast fact: Ritchie Schell is the second longest tenured coach in the MIAA B Conference behind Archbishop Curley's Sean Murphy and enters his 13th season with a 76-47 record and three championship game berths.

Schell has a lot of confidence in sophomore punter/placekicker Dominic Maggio (6-0, 135).

"He will be a Division I kicker," Schell said.

DULANEY

2012 record: 3-7

First game: Sept. 6 at Dundalk, 7 p.m.

Offensive starters returning: 4

Defensive starters returning: 4

Fast fact: New coach Daron Reid worked the past nine years as defensive coordinator at Franklin High.

Outlook: The eyes of Dulaney supporters will be on Reid.

Can he get the Lions headed in a positive direction after a string of losing seasons?

Dulaney has only won nine games since the 2004 campaign, but Reid thinks he has a legitimate chance to turn the team into a winner.

He will be relying on a lot of young players, though.

"I don't think Dulaney has had an many athletes as we have now," said Reid, who replaces Chris Fallon. "The JV last year had a good year and went 8-1. A lot of those guys (14 out of 30) are coming up. We want to change the culture of what Dulaney football is."

Junior Garry Bernardez (5-10, 175) steps into the starting role at quarterback after playing on the JV last year.

Reid says Bernardez is the perfect fit to lead the read-option offense.

"He is very athletic and disciplined," Reid explained. "He has a solid arm and has the height and weight to take the hits running our offense."

Fast fact: New coach Rocco Bruno piloted Chesapeake High to a regional title in 2011.

Outlook: There's a new sherrif in town for the Quakers, and he aims to make the program more competitive.

Beginning with a summer lifting program, Bruno, who takes over for Chuck Saine, is on a mission is to bring a football mindset to the school.

He's also bringing with him an old-school, single-wing offense, the formation that dominated college football in the 1930s and 1940s before springing up again in the late 2000s in the NFL as the "Wildcat."

In the scheme, a variety of backs are available to take direct snaps from center. Included in the mix will be juniors John Herzog (6-2, 175) and Christian Spence (5-8, 170), sophomore J.D. Rogers (5-9, 170) and freshman Nick D'Mario (6-2, 178).

"We only have 20 plays," Bruno said about the system implemented by offensive coordinator John Botneck.

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His defensive counterpart, Joe Reinhardte, will use most of the same performers.

Meanwhile, both units will sport University of Michigan-style helmets, in a Quaker red version instead of the Wolverines' maize and blue.

Bruno hopes the new offense and helmets mark a significant turnaround for a program that has not won more than three games a season in recent memory.

LOCH RAVEN

2012 record: 5-5

First game: Sept. 6 vs. Western Tech, 7 p.m.

Offensive starters returning: 6

Defensive starters returning: 4

Fast fact: The Raiders posted their best record last year since the 2005 season after going 4-26 from 2009 to 2011.

Outlook: Making the Class 2A playoffs is no longer a long shot for Loch Raven.

The Raiders remained in the mix until late in the 2012 season.

"The kids believe we are headed in the right direction," said Ryan Heaney, who became the program's third coach in three seasons last year. "Another year of being in the weight room, being around each other and having the same coaching staff gives us a lot of confidence going into the season. The kids are energetic and enthusiastic. We have momentum."

Heaney's biggest problem last year on offense was finding consistency at quarterback.

Adam Boudouris started the season, then Heaney turned to R.J. Chasen, then to Marques Logan.

Logan (5-9, 175) looked solid for the final five games running the multiple-I offense.

"Logan really took command of the offense and demanded the guys play at a higher level in terms of bringing energy and more fire to that side of the ball," Heaney said of the senior.

Leadership is clearly Logan's biggest asset.

"He is like another coach on the field," Heaney said. "He knows what everybody is suppose to be doing on every play and if he sees something he doesn't like, he is not afraid to speak up."

Heaney is anxious to see what sophomores Marchael Gunn (5-7, 165) and Duan Jones (5-8, 160) can do carrying the ball at the varsity level.

Jones suited up on the JV last year while Gunn played for the Overlea rec program.

"We have the potential to do some really good things," Hall said. "But we have to stay healthy to do that. We just need to see which guys are going to step up to be leaders."

LUTHERAN

2012 record: 2-6

First game: Sept. 6 vs. Central Maryland Christian, 4 p.m.

Offensive starters returning: 6

Defensive starters: 6

Fast fact: Lutheran graduate and junior Jay Davis is playing football at Brown University as a defensive back.

Outlook: Saints' second-year coach Jeramiah Bowling figures if his team plays decently and continues to improve, IT will be primed for a surge.

"I think we are a better disciplined team, and we have a lot of excitement going into the season," said Bowling, whose team competes in the MIAA C Conference. "The kids really took the initiative to work. We had the best offseason lifting weights we ever had."

Senior quarterback Tyler Woolsey (5-11, 200) enters his second season as a starter and he's a good fit running the spread offense.

"He's very smart, has a great arm and is pretty accurate," Bowling said.

"It's rare you get the quarterback and all the receivers back in high school," Bowling said. "They are a pretty versatile group. They are fast, can block and catch over the middle.

The Saints have the chance to impose their will on the offensive line, which features All-Conference pick and senior Charlie Dyjak (6-2, 190), his twin brother Luke (6-2, 190) and Nick Weinel (6-2, 190).

"He is like an Ed Reed-type," Bowling said. "He is in the right place at the right time."

ST. PAUL'S

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2012 record: 11-0

First game: Aug. 30 at Loyola, 4 p.m.

Offensive starters returning: 7

Defensive starters returning: 6

Fast fact: The Crusaders overcame a 17-0 deficit to edge John Carroll, 28-27, last November to capture their first MIAA B Conference title in seven years.

Outlook: Although there are some holes to fill after so many top players graduated from last year's undefeated championship team, there's still enough talent for coach Paul Bernstorf to mold into a winner.

"Two years ago, we had a great season going and then we had a lot of injuries and couldn't finish it off," Bernstorf said. "Last year that kind of happened to BL and (Archbishop) Curley, so you never know. The B Conference is a great league and anybody can win it if they stay healthy."

TOWSON

2012 record: 1-9

First game: Sept. 6 at Sparrows Point, 7 p.m.

Offensive starters returning: 3

Defensive starters returning: 3

Fast fact: Towson juniors Brandon Womack, Nicholas Regalbuto and Ronje Wright were listed on the Big 33 Prospect Watch List for the Big 33 Football Classic that features players from Maryland against those from Pennsylvania.

Outlook: "We are young, but they have a lot of energy and they are working hard," coach Chad Knippenberg said.

Running back Womack (5-9, 185), who was promoted from junior varsity last season, dedicated himself over the summer and has emerged as the top running back.

He'll be joined by classmate Kenny Young (6-1, 180) and senior fullback Brandon Straughter (5-10, 230).